Canvas
by lily22
Summary: If your painting is a complete failure, just get a fresh canvas so you can start over. Pegasus might have failed to bring Cecelia back the first time, but this time, if he enlists in the help of someone completely unexpected, how can he fail? [Complete]
1. Paint

**Title: **Canvas

**Summary:** If your painting is a complete failure, just get a fresh canvas so you can start over. Pegasus might have failed to bring Cecelia back the first time, but this time, if he enlists in the help of someone completely unexpected, how can he fail? Unusual pairing requested.

**Warnings:** None yet.

**Chapter 1:** Paint

'Thoughts' 

'I wonder how Kaiba-kun does it. No matter where he is, he can get helicopters to fly to his exact location. And how does he find people with such ease, I wonder…'

The thought had come out of absolutely nowhere, right in the process of painting. Of course, Pegasus didn't dare call it painting anymore. Cecelia never materialized on his canvas the way she used to; in place of her beautiful, golden hair were daffodils and butterflies and that weird yellow tape they use to keep people out of construction areas, behind all of which lay miles and miles of nearly uninterrupted sky, testimony of when Pegasus had found and gone crazy with that blue that so resembled Cecelia's stunning eyes. 

But Cecelia was never there.

He would start to paint the curve of Cecelia's hair or perhaps her slender fingers, visualizing her in his mind, but his hand would tremble so violently the paint would fly everywhere. More often than not, his 'painting' sessions would end up with his taking a shower, the walls and himself more painted than the canvas. And when he returned, just the sight of that one brush stroke that was to be the start of Cecelia's portrait, and something would squeeze at his heart until he collapsed, the hollow of his left eye burning in agony. It shamed him to be so weak, but he tried again and again, telling himself that this time, it would be different, that this time, he would succeed.

Usually, these endeavors ended with Pegasus backing up to the canvas, eyes squeezed shut, until he could grasp it and tear it off its easel and shred it to little tiny bits so that he would never have to look at it again.

Sometimes he tried painting other things. What had he painted before Cecelia? He spotted a mangy old cat outside the castle, and, after studying it for a few moments, made a quick sketch. Nothing squeezed his heart, but his heart didn't respond either. It just sat there in his chest like a pillow, taking up space. Occasionally, in the sporadic crazy fits that he was prone to now that the Eye was gone, he wondered if he shouldn't just cut it out. After all, the Eye was gone now, and with it any hope of resurrecting Cecelia, leaving no trace, no memory.

But sometimes, he thought he could remember a great battle, unimaginable strength, and dangerous eyes framed by light hair. Bleached or white, he couldn't remember. Perhaps it was even gray. Either way, it was something to go by, and what if he could find his Eye again… oh, but what if!

Before he had lost the Eye, he thought that he had had nothing to lose. If he succeeded, he'd have Cecelia back. If not, he would have… nothing. But now that someone had stolen his Eye, he realized that even having that little object embedded in his skull would be some comfort. The Eye gave him dreams of Cecelia, did it not? At least he when he had the Eye, he was able to paint her beauty without having a heart attack. Now, he had to resort to painting travesties of her beauty: flowers that would pale in comparison to her golds, skies that grayed in comparison to her blues. Now… now he really had nothing, didn't he? 

Nothing. At least there was plenty of nothing to go around. Even now, in the middle of painting a dog with a beach ball and entertaining a thought, like many other whimsical thoughts that flitted through his mind, about Kaiba-kun and his helicopters, Pegasus couldn't help but chuckle. Plenty of nothing to go around, ha. It was true, though, no matter how ridiculous it sounded. 

'My nothing can be shared, and I would still have nothing. Really, I have nothing to lose. Not like before. This time, I know that if I don't do something soon, I'll die.'

It was true, of course. How could he live knowing he'd failed his sweet Cecelia? How could he survive knowing that he'd never see Cecelia again, never feel her in his arms, never taste her lips…?

'So I'll do something!'

The solution was so simple, so brilliant, that he chuckled again. Of course! If he could not survive like this, he would have to change the conditions. He could try again. If he managed to get his Eye back, just seeing Cecelia would give him strength. And then… he would continue. It wasn't impossible, and he just knew that every Item he got would make Cecelia more real, more solid…

Kaiba-kun.

The thought struck him with such intensity that he thought his hand was trying to draw Cecelia again by accident. Indeed, his heart was thudding so hard he nearly did faint. Kaiba-kun was the answer to all his problems. Kaiba-kun had technology, while Pegasus only had artistry. If he went to Kaiba-kun, if Kaiba-kun consented to help, how could they fail? 

He would get the Eye back, he knew it. He knew it. As long as the other consented.

"Cecelia, darling, hope is not lost. I will give whatever it takes to find the Eye again, and then we'll be together, love!"

Already, his brilliant mind was working overtime, clicking and whirring with thoughts of how to persuade the CEO of KaibaCorp to aid him in his venture. Barring the fact that Kaiba-kun hated his guts, this should be easy, for what wouldn't he give? Even his entire company—

Wait.

Kaiba-kun had always wanted power, had he not? And if he had control of Industrial Illusions, he would have more power, would he not? And since all the power on Earth, besides that which might bring Cecelia back, was worthless to Pegasus, if he could trade this company for his Eye…

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

It would work. It had to. Giddily, Pegasus ripped the dog painting from the easel, and grabbed a new canvas. With a few light strokes, Pegasus easily drew the image from one of his favorite cards. "_Shishasousei_," he whispered to his wife. "Monster Reborn."

**To Be Continued…**


	2. Brush

**Title: **Canvas

**Summary:** A post-Duelist Kingdom story centered around Pegasus and his search for a way to bring Cecelia back… And the man he wants help from is the most unlikely of all. Shounen-ai of a very uncommon pairing that someone requested.

**Warnings:** Some foul language.  
**Chapter 2:** Brush

"You bastard! Have you no shame, to be calling _me_?" The chuckle at the other end of the line was just as confident as he remembered it. "Whatever you want, you can just forget it." He wanted to just hang up, but something about Pegasus was different, something about his voice made him want to stay and find out just what this was about. That would probably be safer, anyways, he rationalized. 

Uneasily, Kaiba walked towards Mokuba's room and peered quietly in. Reassured that Mokuba was indeed in bed, his voice dropped to a whisper so as not to wake his brother. "We aren't going to discuss anything, because my guards will be instructed to have you shot if you step foot within my property." He couldn't walk away from the room for fear that a golden beam will descend from the stars and whisk Mokuba's soul far, far away into the depths of the night sky.

"Ah, but Kaiba-kun, we need not discuss it at your place. The phone is such a wonderful invention, don't you think?"

"I'd prefer to see you in person so I can decide whether you're plotting to kill me in my sleep or steal my company. And don't call me Kaiba-kun!"

"Yes, Kaiba-kun, of course. I don't see why you can't come to my castle so we can work things out."

"Yeah right. And while I'm gone, you'll bribe my guards to steal Mokuba, is that it?"

"Send Mokuba-kun off to a safe place while you're here. I can't possibly know who all of Mokuba's friends are, can I?"

"…No, but you'll just… Look, I don't know what you did back at Duelist Kingdom, but you'll just do it again."

"I'm a man of my word, Kaiba-kun. I promised already that no harm would befall you, your brother, or your company. What more do you want from me?"

"I want you to leave me alone!"

Chuckle. "Ooh, that's a clever one. But if you can help me, I will give you… Well, that is to be discussed later, is it not? But you won't be disappointed, I guarantee."

"Oh?" Kaiba shook his head vigorously. What was wrong with him? He wasn't actually agreeing to going to Pegasus's castle, was he? "But no," he added hastily. "That would be idiotic of me. Why would I willingly put myself in your favor?"

Pegasus didn't miss a beat. "Because, Kaiba-kun, you want to see what it is that I have to offer that you might be even remotely interested. You need to know everything, and if you refuse, weeks from now, when you're alone, you'll wonder what it was that you passed up on, and whether you should have come after all."

The elder Kaiba shook his head, closing the door, fighting for something to disprove Pegasus's words. He needed to argue. There was no way he could let Pegasus win this game. What could he say to show Pegasus how complete false his words were?

"…Don't call me Kaiba-kun," was all that came out.

~~

"He's coming!" Pegasus crowed delightedly to his computer, the closest object that remotely resembled a sentient being, sounding for all the world like a teenage girl waiting expectantly for her date. "What should I wear, computer-kun?" 

The computer didn't say anything.

"Good idea! Sunglasses! We can't have Kaiba-kun see the… Well, sunglasses are a good idea, yes. CROQUET!" 

Croquet hurried into the room, looking flustered. "Croquet, I need a pair of sunglasses. Oh, and we're having a very distinguished guest over. He is coming at eight, tomorrow morning. Could you please prepare a room for us, so we can discuss business?"

"Of course, Pegasus-sama."

"Wait."

"Pegasus-sama?" Croquet paused at the doorway. "Is there something else you'll need?"

After this, Pegasus would probably never see Croquet again. After tomorrow, that is. The company would go to Kaiba-kun. And Pegasus would be left with enough money to "live comfortably". Which won't involve servants of any sort. 'This is goodbye then. Thanks for everything.' But he couldn't say it out loud. "No, sorry. It's nothing."

With a nod, Croquet left. 

~~

Seto had that crazed look in his eyes again. Though Mokuba knew that his brother would never do anything to harm him, he had to pity whoever it was that Seto would attack this time. 

This was their sixth taxi.

Each one had gone to a different one of Mokuba's friends' houses. When they'd gotten out of the taxi, they went in the house, stayed for tea, left, walked three blocks, and got into another taxi. Seto was so paranoid it wasn't even funny.

Their taxi pulled up at the Kame Game Shop, and Seto paid the taxi driver and got his address, promising to mail money if Mokuba's location wasn't exposed to anybody. The poor driver was nearly crushed into his seat as Seto made it very, very clear that this wasn't only a bribe. 

Finally, Seto let him go, and the driver zoomed off, shaking. Seto grinned at Mokuba, and they went in.

~~

The TV was an ingenious invention. Pegasus could sit in front of it for hours, watching cartoons, soaps, commercials, static… Channel 2, the one that listed what was currently airing, was one of his favorites, and though he really had no interest in which show would come on now, he loved the music that played in the background.

On this particular morning, Pegasus was watching Saturday morning cartoons. The hero of this particular show, Jackie, had just pulled off some stunning acrobatics, and was now facing off several members of the evil team in martial arts. He let out a delighted chuckle as Jackie defeated an opponent about three times his size, and the others just hopped around near him, waiting for their turn.

"Pegasus-sama, your… guest is here."

Oh, so Croquet was still here. That's right, Croquet would be here until Kaiba-kun received the deeds to Industrial Illusions. "Thank you, please invite him in."

"Um, Pegasus-sama? Did you want your sunglasses?"

"Oh! Oh, right, thank you so much, Croquet. I'll go get them. Please have Kaiba-kun meet me in the… which room did you prepare again?"

"Your secondary office. I brought the paperwork for your company, as you requested."

"Ah, thank you, Croquet. What would I ever do without you?" Pegasus stood, turned off the TV, and put the remote on the coffee table. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he could see Croquet smiling, ever so slightly.

**To Be Continued…**


	3. Dip

**Title: **Canvas

**Summary:** A post-Duelist Kingdom story centered around Pegasus and his search for a way to bring Cecelia back… And the man he wants help from is the most unlikely of all. Shounen-ai of a very uncommon pairing that someone requested.

**Warnings:** None.

**Chapter 3:** Dip

The storm clouds rolled in ominously like they had on the day of Yuugi's battle with Jounouchi. The air felt thicker, heavier, and Kaiba had to brush the sweat off the bridge of his nose several times on the short walk from the helicopter to the castle.

Now, Kaiba was reclining at the table, in the chair Pegasus obviously meant to take for himself, behind the desk. But too bad. If the loony wanted the chair, he should've gotten there earlier. And speaking of Pegasus, where was he?

Standing up, Kaiba glanced at his watch. 8:03:03. Had the other man gotten lost in his own mansion? He stretched his tense back tentatively, trying not to bite his lower lip in trepidation. That was a bad habit, and one Kaiba had not felt the urge to submit to in many years. Besides, it was never good to show nervousness. Especially around insane people. And, speak of the devil…

"About time you got here," Seto greeted the sheet of white hair that proceeded Pegasus's entrance.

"Good morning to you too, Kaiba-kun." Pegasus dipped his head slightly to acknowledge Kaiba's presence, and closed the door. "Please, have a seat."

Kaiba sat, too tense to argue or even snap, 'Don't call me Kaiba-kun!' Why shouldn't he be tense? He was alone in a room with a maniac. Why was it so warm here?

Pegasus was wearing a wide pair of sunglasses framed with what seemed to be cow-print. Each lens was a bit eccentric, but more circular than any glasses Kaiba would've deigned to wear. It did not look out of place on Pegasus's face, though. He was childish enough, that was for sure.

Catching Kaiba's stare, Pegasus grinned. "Like my new sunglasses, Kaiba-kun?"

"No," he answered truthfully.

"Oh, but they're so me!"

"Exactly."

"Ouch." Hurt showed on Pegasus's face… at least, the portion of his face that wasn't covered by those sunglasses. "Excuse me, Kaiba-kun," Pegasus said a moment later, reaching over the table for the handle of the drawer.

Hastily, Kaiba backed up, grateful that there were wheels on his chair. As Pegasus pulled the drawer out, the hand inevitably neared, and Kaiba felt unease ripple in his gut, like if he let the hand get too close or, heaven forbid, actually touch him, something bad would happen… he would lose control…

Kaiba didn't usually listen to his gut feeling, but this time, it wasn't hard to believe. Unbidden, the memories of being removed from his body came to mind, and he backed away even more.

After he took the stack of papers out, straightening the edges on his desk, Pegasus looked after Kaiba questioningly, but did not ask, for which Kaiba was grateful. The drawer was closed, the elder man sat down in the seat that Kaiba should've been sitting in, and he smiled brightly. "Let's start, shall we?"

"Yes, let's do." Kaiba reluctantly rolled his chair back towards the desk and its owner, telling himself that the sooner they started, the sooner they'd get this over with. "What do you want from me?"

"I need you to find someone for me."

"Find someone? That would be simple, if this someone lived in Domino city." Pegasus opened his mouth again, and spoke, but Kaiba wasn't listening. "Can you turn on the air conditioning? It's so hot in here." As if to accent his point, sweat rolled down the side of his face.

"Kaiba-kun?" Those three syllables were filled with genuine concern. Pegasus? Concern? Hah. "Are you okay? Do you need some water? Medication?"

"I'd be fine if this place weren't a furnace!"

"It's not, Kaiba-kun." Pegasus stood uncertainly, and opened a window. He shivered, but opened the door, too. "The air conditioning was on, but maybe you should get some fresh air. I've heard that spending too long in a cramped room…"

Kaiba found it rather difficult to focus. He tipped over drunkenly, and Pegasus shouted his name. Or something that sounded like his name. At this point, it didn't make a difference. Said man reached over to catch him, but Kaiba put out a hand to assure that he was fine, which he wasn't, and jerked away, or tried to. Instead, he jerked the opposite way he'd meant to, and Pegasus's hand brushed his side, in the spot that Mokuba would've been most ticklish… that is, if Seto had been Mokuba and if Mokuba had been there, which he wasn't. 

Was he? Kaiba blinked confusedly.

Pegasus drew his hand back quickly, and Seto felt something foreign stir in body. His face and back and entire body burst into another sheen of sweat, and the heat turned into a loud pounding in his head. The last thing he was aware of before he passed out were Pegasus's strong arms catching him as he tumbled from his chair. To Be Continued… 


	4. Swoop

**Title: **Canvas

**Summary:** A post-Duelist Kingdom story centered around Pegasus and his search for a way to bring Cecelia back… And the man he wants help from is the most unlikely of all. Shounen-ai of a very uncommon pairing that someone requested.

**Disclaimer:** Lily does not own YuGiOh. Lily is not making money off of this.

**Warnings:** None yet.

**Chapter 4:** Swoop

Kaiba awoke to teddy bear wallpaper. 

His eyes widened, and then closed incredulously, before he reopened them. 

The teddy bears were still there. In fact, upon closer inspection, Kaiba found that it wasn't just teddy bear wallpaper. It was teddy-bears-and-baby-blue-stripes-and-little-pink-ribbons-tied-into-perfect-little-pink-bows wallpaper.

Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.

Actually, perhaps this was more like Alice in Wonderland. We're all mad here.

Come to think about it, even Mokuba's wallpaper wasn't this ridiculous. Though his curtains more than made up for it. 

He sat up slowly, smoothing out his rumpled jacket, and slid his legs out from under the covers. Toes met carpet of a creamy kind of color, and Kaiba noted that his socks and shoes were in a neat little pile right under his feet. Whoever had put them there had made an excellent estimation of where Kaiba would normally put them, and for a moment, he relaxed. He slipped them on, trying to recall just where he was.

Pegasus.

The idea was even worse than the wallpaper. He had been _sleeping _in Pegasus's castle? _Sleeping_? Worse, he had fainted, right in front of Pegasus! And the crazy bat had caught him! His face flushed as he realized that he had completely ruined his dignified persona, in front of Pegasus, of all people!

Grumbling to himself, and tensing again, he stood up, wobbled a bit, righted himself, and left the room in a huff, leaving the bed a mess.

The hallway was brightly lit but windowless. Kaiba dimly thought about balls of twine and unrolling them as he went so he wouldn't get lost in the labyrinths of Pegasus's castle, but recalled that that was from Greek Mythology, not Disney. Ah well, Disney would probably steal the idea and make it into a movie soon.

As he walked in a random direction, he peered into the doorways he passed. There was a bathroom. There was a kitchen. There was another kitchen. There was a vast dining room that could've probably seated half the participants of Duelist Kingdom. There was a locked room. A low rumbling sounded somewhere around him, and Kaiba looked around, half expecting to see the walls shifting.

They weren't, of course.

Something about staring at the blank wall for too long made his eye twitch, and he hurriedly directed his gaze away. There was a painting. The signature at the bottom right read "Arnold Kablinski" or something like that. It was just a house, surrounded by flowers, backdropped by the night sky. Plain, but a welcome relief from the otherwise dull wall.

When he felt he could without tumbling over his feet, Kaiba continued walking, occasionally pausing to squeeze his eyes shut against the glare of the stark walls. The rumbling noise got louder, and he finally realized it was the sound of a television.

Kaiba stumbled into the room with the television, gaze immediately lighting upon Pegasus. The owner of Industrial Illusions seemed not to notice the football game going on in front of him, or even Kaiba's sudden (and not too graceful) entry. Following his gaze, Kaiba found that Pegasus was staring at a large portrait that hung in the next room, of a golden-haired, blue-eyed girl with a pleasing visage and a coy smile. 

That figured out, Kaiba cleared his throat.

Pegasus snapped his head around, looking startled. "Kaiba-kun, you're awake!"

'Well, that was a stupid statement. If I weren't awake, how would I be standing here?'

The room was also too bright. What was wrong with this place? Where did all the white come from? Just then, Kaiba caught sight of the window, blanketed by a curtain of falling snow. "It's snowing," he announced back, also not too intelligently.

Nod. "I don't think you'll be able to leave in this weather."

Well, that certainly hadn't occurred to Kaiba. His face blanched. "What?"

"I'm sorry. Your helicopter won't be able to fly in this kind of weather. We've moved it into my garage, and your driver is currently reading his novel on the first floor sitting room."

"And what are you suggesting?" Seto glanced at his watch. 11:34:27. "That I stay at your castle until the weather clears?"

"What else can you do?"

"You… you… fiend!!" By now, Kaiba was beyond annoyed. "You planned this, didn't you! You drugged me or, or something! And now you planned the weather so I'd be stuck in your castle!"

"I resent that," Pegasus stated, looking highly affronted. For a moment, he looked like he might explode. It wasn't until now that Seto noticed just how easily and genuinely smiles came to Pegasus's face, and in their absence, Seto felt a sense of dread, and perhaps a little twinge of regret. "We both know that your accusations were completely unfounded."

What was it about Pegasus that made Kaiba always feel like a kid again, immature and way out of control? Perhaps it was the way that he always remained collected and levelheaded, something that Kaiba struggled to achieve, and did… most of the time. To his shame, he found himself struggling against Pegasus's words again, trying to throw any kind of weapon he found in order to prevent the man from victory. But there was nothing.

"Fine. Can we just discuss what it was I came here to discuss so I can leave when the storm ends?"

"Fine by me." He only now seemed to notice that the television was on, and he searched for the remote. Finding it on his thigh, he quickly turned the TV off, motioning for Kaiba to sit on one of the other couches. "Now, where were we?"

"You wanted me to find someone." At least Kaiba had a perfect memory. Take that, you demented freak who never loses his temper!

"Right. Is it possible?"

"Well, who do you need me to find?"

"Um… Actually, I'm not too sure. I know that it has to be somebody who came to the Duelist Kingdom tournament. And I know he or she has light hair. I made a list of people who fit those descriptions." Always efficient, Pegasus grabbed the stack of papers that he had had waiting. "We have 5 people with white hair, 2 with silver or gray, and 9 with blond light enough to qualify."

"And what do you hope to accomplish with this?"

He looked reluctant to answer at first. "My…" Pegasus took off his sunglasses, and Kaiba found himself tempted to draw back with horror at the empty socket. "My Eye was stolen from me. My only clues are that it happened right after the finals, and… and the hair thing." He laughed softly. "It's pathetic, I know, but if there's a chance I'll be able to find the thief, I'm willing to take it."

Kaiba had always been disgusted with the gold that had replaced Pegasus's left eye, but it was even worse without it. "Why is a chunk of gold so important to you? You could always afford to make another."

"It's not just any chunk of gold, Kaiba-kun." One amber eye darkened seriously. "It was the Millennium Eye. You saw what it did to you, but that's not the most important part. The important part is that without it, I can't see her anymore… I can't even… paint her… Well… that's not relevant right now. What's relevant is that I'm willing to do anything to get the Eye back."

"So, this nebulous 'she' is that important to you?"

"Yes. Yes, she is. Can you understand that?"

"…I think I could." Kaiba thought about backing up until there was only empty space behind him, he thought about the drop waiting for him should he step back once more, he thought about threatening to jump should he lose the duel and fail to rescue Mokuba. Wait, was he feeling empathy towards Pegasus? He was the one Mokuba needed rescuing from in the first place! "And what do I get if I help you?"

Something seemed to die in Pegasus's eye, a glimmer of hope squashed and lost by harsh words, the hope that maybe somebody could possibly understand. "You get Industrial Illusions."

**To Be Continued…**


	5. Curve

**Title: **Canvas

**Summary:** A post-Duelist Kingdom story centered around Pegasus and his search for a way to bring Cecelia back… And the man he wants help from is the most unlikely of all. Shounen-ai of a very uncommon pairing that someone requested.

**Disclaimer:** Lily does not own YuGiOh. Lily is not making money off of this.

**Warnings:** None?

**Chapter 5:** Curve

"You're giving up your company?"

"Yes. If I can't get the Eye back, it won't matter to me anymore." 

Kaiba thought about daring Yuugi to attack as he stood at the ledge, wind whipping through his hair and just daring him to jump. He would've done it, too. "And if I can't find this mysterious someone?"

"You can have the company anyways. Just as long as you try."

"Okay, so let me get this straight. I track down sixteen people for you, and you give me your company?"

"Well, no, there's more to it. I could probably track these people down myself, but I'm sure you can do it more accurately. I only need to find those who returned home the day of the finals or later, otherwise they couldn't have been there to take my Eye. And, I'll need their street address so I can actually find them. But yeah, that's basically it."

"Right. So, address and date of return. Pretty simple. Give me the list." Pegasus did so, and they sat in silence as Kaiba scanned it over. Not one lived in Domino, or at least, he didn't recognize any. Oh, but Kaiba had connections. Yes he did.

The silence stretched awkwardly as Kaiba finished. Pegasus's gaze turned towards the television, and Kaiba suddenly didn't want him to turn it on. It was too noisy, that's why. Anxiously, he tried to come up with something to say. Though he really didn't want to draw the conversation towards his earlier weakness, there was really nothing else he could say, was there?

"Interesting wallpaper, by the way. Nice teddy bears. Very sophisticated."

When Kaiba saw the red spreading on Pegasus's cheeks, he took it for embarrassment and felt a sort of sadistic pleasure at victory, at knowing that he too could toy with Pegasus's emotions, not just the other way around. And then, he realized that Pegasus, now standing up and towering over him, was angry.

Happiness, boredom, defeat, glee. Kaiba couldn't remember seeing anything outside of those emotions on Pegasus's face. Never sadness, not until a few moments ago, and even then, Pegasus tucked it away behind a mask of nonchalance. There was another similarity between the two: they both liked to hide their emotions, though Kaiba replaced his with ice and Pegasus replaced his with… something childish. Like a sun with its rays growing out like spider legs, drawn in yellow crayon. And Kaiba had definitely never seen anger on Pegasus's face. Pegasus was too easygoing to get angry, or so Kaiba had thought. 

It was still a victory, then, wasn't it? He was the first to make this man lose his temper.

"Seto Kaiba." The words were spoken slowly, the syllables strung out, and even now, Pegasus looked as if he were fighting to calm himself. "I don't mind that you insult me at every opportunity that you have. But you will never, never insult Cecelia."

"Oh? And who is this Cecelia?"

"Cecelia is… Cecelia was…" Pegasus exhaled deeply. "Well, it's none of your concern. But this is Cecelia," here, Pegasus paused to sweep his arm towards the portrait, "And you were staying in her room. I'll ask you not to show disrespect towards her." Pegasus seemed to have calmed, and was now trying out a strained smile. Following his example, Kaiba relaxed as well. But by now, he was genuinely curious. This was definitely the 'she' Pegasus had been talking about before, the one that Kaiba found himself relating to Mokuba.

"Yeah. Okay. So who was she? Who was she to you?" 

There was only silence for a few moments. "She is my love, my life, my soul, my everything. She is, was my wife." Pain shone in the one eye for a few seconds, and Pegasus hastily put the sunglasses back on. "She's dead," he added bluntly.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." As with all condolences issued by Kaiba Seto, this one was spoken with an air of necessity, not genuine regret. But there was regret somewhere in his voice and Pegasus seemed to hear that, if his slight smile was anything to judge by.

'How would I feel if Mokuba died?' Kaiba shuddered. 'Nobody understands how terrible that would be… yet this man…'

"Do you… want to talk about it?"

Pegasus looked up with no little surprise. "Talk about it?" He parroted, disbelief quieting his voice.

"Sure. It might make you feel better."

"And this from you, Kaiba-kun," Pegasus said with a chuckle. He had evidently brushed all hurt and anger aside to be dealt with later. "Let's go have lunch. Unless you still think I'll poison something?"

Kaiba chose to ignore the rather obvious subject change and stood. "I have a strong stomach. I think I'll survive."

Croquet met the two men just out of the room as if he'd been there all along.

"Croquet! Just the man I want to see," Pegasus said, rather cheerfully. "Kaiba-kun and I were just going to have lunch. Do you think you could ask whoever is cooking today to make us something to eat?"

"I already have, Pegasus-sama. Will that be all?"

"Yes. Thank you, Croquet." Pegasus had to marvel at Croquet's thoughtfulness, and made a mental note to give him a raise soon… and scratched the note as he remembered that he wouldn't be able to give him a raise soon. Kaiba stood silently somewhere behind Pegasus, observing with interest. Rather abruptly, Pegasus grabbed Kaiba's hand and began pulling the other man along, regardless of the fact that Kaiba was a good two inches taller.

~~

Kaiba ate quietly and meticulously, as did Pegasus. As a result, there wasn't much of a conversation. Finally, Pegasus decided that he was finished, wiped his mouth daintily, and proceeded to watch Kaiba eat. Feeling the one-eyed stare, even through those ridiculous sunglasses, Kaiba decided that he too was done, and returned the stare. He was at an advantage, of course. He had two eyes, and they weren't covered by cow-print sunglasses.

"Did you want to call your brother, Kaiba-kun?"

"Hmm?" The younger CEO was busily staring at Pegasus. He didn't really want to admit it, but having Pegasus's eye on him was really unnerving, made him feel like he just couldn't slip up and retain any semblance of dignity, and he wanted to do something equally unnerving back.

"Did you want to call your brother? You know, to inform him that I haven't killed you yet?"

"Oh. Oh, right."

"Hopefully, the phone lines aren't out already. I assume you have a cell phone?" Nodding, Kaiba it out. Pegasus left to wait in the television room with one of his favorite Funny Bunny comics. He hadn't really been able to read them since his Eye was stolen, knowing that Cecelia might never be returned to him… But now, he had hope.

And besides, he had so missed Funny Bunny.

To Be Continued… 


	6. Blank

**Title: **Canvas

**Summary:** A post-Duelist Kingdom story centered around Pegasus and his search for a way to bring Cecelia back… And the man he wants help from is the most unlikely of all. Shounen-ai of a very uncommon pairing that someone requested.

**Disclaimer:** Lily does not own YuGiOh. Lily is not making money off of this.

**Warnings:** None?

**Chapter 6:** Blank

From childhood, Funny Bunny had been one of Pegasus's best friends. It was sad but true. Being an aristocrat meant he always had to act a certain way, could only interact with certain people. He didn't like any of them. Kaiba-kun could probably understand, seeing how few friends he had. 

Funny Bunny, though rather two dimensional, always pulled through. No matter what happened to him, he always was the one to come out on top. Granted, the various random objects he managed to pull from hammerspace were helpful, but that didn't stop him from being Pegasus's hero.

It's rather pathetic to be obsessed with ink on paper, is it not? But Pegasus couldn't exactly help it. All the real people he'd met were so boring, but Funny Bunny… 

And then there was Cecelia. She was a surprise, to say the least. By the time he'd met her, he'd given up the hope that any living, breathing person could be worth his time. That all changed when he saw her, standing shyly near the wall where the crowd of people thinned. His first impression had been that she was a goddess in training: young but already so beautiful. 

He suddenly wondered if Kaiba-kun had ever met someone like Cecelia, if he'd ever just thought about someone and felt his heart skip a beat. Probably not. But it would be nice if everybody could have someone as close to them as Cecelia was to Pegasus… if only for a short while.

And why exactly was Pegasus thinking about Cecelia and Kaiba when all he wanted to do was concentrate on Funny Bunny? But then, it could be excused, for Cecelia was perpetually on his mind, and Kaiba-kun was on the couch perpendicular to the one Pegasus was on, having retrieved his laptop from the helicopter, doing whatever it was he had to do to find the people that might have stolen the Eye, which might return Cecelia to Pegasus… it all went around in a circle, didn't it? It wouldn't really be a surprise if Kaiba-kun ended up being forever linked to Cecelia in Pegasus's mind.

Turning his attention back to Funny Bunny, Pegasus was delighted to find that his favorite part in this particular volume had come up without his notice. Every time he read Funny Bunny, it seemed as if he were reading it for the first time, and this was no exception. He chuckled happily as Funny Bunny managed to escape his oppressor's claws yet again, as if he hadn't seen the exact thing happen over twenty times already.

Pegasus found that he could feel eyes boring into the side of his head and looked up, smiling lightly. "What, am I not allowed to laugh?"

Kaiba-kun looked caught between snapping back and making a face, finally settling on frowning before looking back down at his work. Deciding that it would be amusing just to see the reaction, Pegasus stood and laughed again. Kaiba-kun tensed.

"I'm going that way," Pegasus said, setting his Funny Bunny gently down beside the remote control and pointing, "I think two doors down, in case you need me."

He received a mumble of assent in response, but Kaiba-kun didn't look up.

~~

Seto was disrupted from his work by a moaning sound. Feeling curious, and finding his concentration broken, he saved the beginnings of his email to the drafts folder, clicked the laptop shut, and walked out of the room.

The moaning had stopped. He was a bit put out that his grand adventure was gone, he figured that while he was out here, he might as well do something, like finding Pegasus, perhaps? He walked down in the direction Pegasus had said earlier, and, as promised, the second door down was open.

Pegasus was sprawled on the floor, hand clutching at his face. The glasses were neatly folded and placed on a nearby table. "Pegasus?"

Slowly, the addressed man looked up, eyes wide and blank with some indiscernible emotion. Finally, they seemed to register, and he smiled weakly. "Kaiba-kun…"

"What happened to you? You look terrible."

And indeed, he did. Pale skin, quivering shoulders… Pegasus definitely wasn't too healthy at the moment. "I… tried…" Kaiba saw the other's eye dart to his left, and followed his gaze. Pegasus had evidently been painting, as the picture on the easel had only a single curve on it.

"You tried…?" Kaiba prompted helpfully, feeling mildly concerned. The other man had, after all, stolen his and his brother's souls at one point, so there was really no point in getting too worked up over this.

"I tried to paint her." The words were spoken so quietly Kaiba could barely hear them, and yet so sorrowful, he couldn't possibly miss the meaning. "I couldn't. It felt like I was dying…"

The concern grew minutely, and Kaiba knelt next to Pegasus, and, despite himself, helped the man to a sitting position. "Soon," he responded, never good at comforting. "You'll get it back soon."

"…Thanks." Surprise showed in Pegasus's eye, but he made no move to get up. "I don't feel up to leaving at the moment, Kaiba-kun. Could you do me a favor? Could you destroy that canvas for me?"

"Destroy it?"

"…Yeah… That's what I've always had to do in the past. Otherwise I can't even look at it." He looked so desperately sad, and perhaps a bit ashamed of his weakness, and Kaiba felt a bit of confusion. Something was strange, something about himself. His reaction. Was he supposed to feel pity or something? Yet he didn't feel pity. He felt annoyed at the canvas for causing trouble, sure, and now he gladly ripped it apart.

But why didn't he feel sorry for Pegasus? Was he really that heartless? He had never thought himself as truly callous. That was why he hadn't told Pegasus that out of the thirteen people he'd already checked, the latest one to leave the island did so three days before the finals. He didn't want to cause Pegasus the misery of knowing that so far, there was no possible person to blame for the theft of the Eye.

To Be Continued… 


	7. Stroke

**Title: **Canvas

**Summary:** A post-Duelist Kingdom story centered around Pegasus and his search for a way to bring Cecelia back… And the man he wants help from is the most unlikely of all. Shounen-ai of a very uncommon pairing that someone requested.

**Disclaimer:** Lily does not own YuGiOh. Lily is not making money off of this.

**Warnings: **The beautiful relationship that was progressing so slowly… It was a work of art! And now –this- happened to it… ;_;

**Chapter 7:** Stroke

By dinner, Pegasus had, with visible effort, pushed the feelings of helplessness and angst away, and was chatting amiably about fast food restaurants. He seemed to have a talent for making the strangest of topics interesting (though Kaiba was a bit surprised that he was talking so easily after failing to paint his beloved, and especially in front of him, of all people). Either that, or the Tylenol Croquet had thoughtfully left next to Pegasus's glass had somehow gotten him high.

Abruptly, he stopped talking about French fries, having finally exhausted that topic. Seto was slightly disappointed, as the silent meal that had been lunch was not an ordeal he would've liked to repeat. He glanced outside, rather sadly, at the snow that was still falling. He hadn't been in the castle for a day yet, but just being around Pegasus was a challenge in itself, as he had to constantly hold himself at the ready and make sure he didn't do anything incredibly stupid. It seemed like years.

"What happened to my helicopter pilot?" Kaiba finally asked. The question had occurred earlier in the day, but it had been dispelled quickly, though by what, he didn't know.

"Oh." Pegasus looked thoughtful, and then, "I have no idea. I'm sure Croquet has been taking care of him. Croquet?" He raised his voice at the last bit, and Croquet hurried in, looking a bit worn.

"Yes, Pegasus-sama?"

"Kaiba-kun was wondering where his pilot went."

"He has been playing pool with the rest of the staff whose shifts ended this morning, but had no way of getting back home," Croquet answered smoothly, as if expecting that question. Pegasus beamed at Kaiba.

~~

Sketching was a lot better than painting, anyways, Pegasus told himself, and then voiced this reassurance. After all, there were no messy paints to worry about, and there were no memories of Cecelia attached, as he had always felt compelled to use full color when depicting her beauty. That was why he was currently settled comfortably on his couch, sketchpad balanced on his knees, pencil poised and ready for inspiration. An idea was slowly coming to him. Something with harsh angles that could soften if need be… and a trench coat?

Kaiba snorted suddenly, and Pegasus blinked up at him, startled. "What? What?" 

From his usual position on the next couch, Kaiba shook his head. "Nothing."

"There has to be something."

"It was amusing."

"What was amusing?" Pegasus stared at Kaiba, and then at his blank sketchbook. "I haven't even drawn anything yet."

"It wasn't your drawing, it was your facial expression."

"My… what did I look like?" 

"Like you were trying to solve pi."

Pegasus started to say something, but realized Kaiba was smiling. He closed his mouth quickly, gave a smile of his own, and turned his gaze back to the paper. 

Now he couldn't remember what he was thinking about.

"Now look, you've made me lose concentration."

There was no response. He quickly sketched a bald man, leaning over his desk, slender fingers pressing firmly against his temples. Pegasus stared at his work a while, toying with a strand of hair. It was easy to fidget with whatever was closest when he was trying to think. Finally, he drew a pained expression on the picture's face, then added scars, chains, erased the chair and made the guy kneel rather than sit. And then, Pegasus ripped the sheet out, tore it up, and dropped the shreds into a neat pile on the coffee table. 

That done, Pegasus drew in a deep breath and sighed it back out. 

"Are you always so agitated when you draw?" Seto asked dryly.

"No, only when my drawings are warped and twisted and I'm waiting for you to tell me whether or not I can see my dead wife again."

Seto laughed at that, surprising both of them. "I think I could love someone like you."

Silence. "Excuse me?"

He already wished he could take the words back, but now that they were out, he had to pretend that he had meant to say that in the first place, that he had meant to blurt out something he'd only just realized and wasn't even sure of. In fact, that was probably the stupidest thing he could ever have said! But to back down was to be wishy washy, and that was a bad idea.

"You heard what I said." Seto stood, smirking confidently. "Think on it. Good night." He left to find the room he had awoken in, and did so with minimal difficulty. Behind him, Pegasus looked like he would faint. 

It was a victory for Kaiba, of course. Finally, he had been able to startle the seemingly unshakable man. And finally, he didn't care.

~~

They didn't see each other until breakfast-time, and when they did, they didn't speak of the night before. In fact, if not for Pegasus's blush and Kaiba's hastily averted gaze, they each might've thought that they'd dreamt it up.

What they did speak of was petty enough, but a good distraction from Seto's reprimands (I'm supposed to be in control! How could I have let something like that slip from my mouth?) and Pegasus's neurotic ramble (What is he thinking? Could he have been serious? But why? How? What's going on? I don't get it! What do I think of all this? I know myself well, but this…), neither of which had stopped since the two parted for sleep. 

Again, after breakfast, they retreated to the perpendicular couches again, as a good, solid routine was something they could depend upon. They needed something to depend upon, especially now, while their frazzled nerves and confused emotions were… undependable.

Pegasus shifted uncomfortably every few minutes at first, but finally settled in a sprawled out position with a volume of manga[1] lying on the floor, held open with two fingers. Like all negative emotions, he pushed the unease away, instead focusing on Funny Bunny. Despite the blood rushing to his head from letting it hang too close to the floor, this position was rather comfortable.

Seto, on the other hand, wasn't having too much luck relaxing. For one, he expected at any moment for Pegasus to jump up and demand exactly what it was that Kaiba had meant last night. For another, the possible thieves were dwindling. The future looked dim for Pegasus's reuniting with his wife. Three… He sent out an email to the airport. Two… Well, that was easy. She could be ruled out immediately. One… This one hadn't even come; she'd been forced to stay home when her father fell ill. And the email was back already. Nobody that fit Kaiba's description had taken any of the stated flights.

"Pegasus?"

"Hm?" Pegasus wasn't paying attention at all. Well, at least it was nice to know that he wasn't tense, unlike the other occupant of the room.

"I think you should pay attention for this."

The addressed froze, hardly daring to breathe. Finally, he sat up, brushing loose strands of silver hair from his face, Funny Bunny in hand, like the Bible or something else from which he could draw strength. "…Yes, Kaiba-kun?"

"I… finished."

He didn't have to ask 'what with'. "…And…?"

The hope in Pegasus's eye was painful, and Kaiba briefly wondered why the sunglasses were off. And then he realized that they were probably still in the room Pegasus had been painting in, one which said artist didn't want to venture into just yet.

"And… the last of them left 40 hours before your duel with Yuugi."

Again, silence.

"…Oh." Pegasus's voice was small and a bit hesitant, as if by thinking a bit longer, perhaps he could figure out that Kaiba was talking about something different altogether. But no luck. "So… none of them could've taken the Eye."

"Right."

Again, he whispered, "oh," and again, they fell silent. Pegasus looked so crestfallen and pitiful. Something had to be done.

Seto's fingers began typing furiously, and finally he calmed, clicking buttons and typing at seemingly random intervals. "You have security camera records, don't you?" He asked calmly, not even faltering at what he was doing. 

"Yeah, why?" Pegasus was looking at him curiously now.

"Mind if I hack into your systems to find them? You don't look up to moving right now." Pegasus gave a strained chuckle, and waved his hands in a 'go ahead' motion before letting them fall limply back on his lap. "Good, because I already did." And then he began clicking the right and left mouse buttons sporadically.

Hours passed.

Pegasus began reading Funny Bunny again, though his heart really wasn't in it, and the pages he used to devour in seconds now took fifteen, twenty minutes to read.

Finally, maybe three hours later, Kaiba picked up the laptop and sat down next to Pegasus, pretty much shoving the screen in Pegasus's face. "These are all the colors present in your camera records for all of duelist kingdom. All you have to do is left click when you see a color that might be the hair color of the culprit, and right click when it doesn't fit with your memory. I've already removed the reds and greens and blacks and such from the potential color list. When you finish, we'll run the tape and save any portions that bear the colors you selected into a new file. Then we'll just watch the new video and see if we can find any people who weren't on the list, and then we'll send pictures out and see if we can identify them, and then…" Kaiba paused in his tortuous explanation to find Pegasus staring at him. "What?"

"I… don't have anything to offer, besides my company, and that's already yours…"

"Consider it part of the original deal. I don't like to leave things half done."

"…Thank you. You didn't have to…"

"Let's work on the color selection, shall we? How does this color look? Here, use these buttons…"

  
[1] Manga is anime drawn and put into book form. It is usually read from right to left, which gives me a headache, since some translators leave it at that while others switch it to left to right format. I'm not sure if Funny Bunny qualifies as manga or not.

To Be Continued… 


	8. Portrait

**Title: **Canvas

**Summary:** A post-Duelist Kingdom story centered around Pegasus and his search for a way to bring Cecelia back… And the man he wants help from is the most unlikely of all. Shounen-ai of a very uncommon pairing that someone requested.

**Disclaimer:** Lily does not own YuGiOh. Lily is not making money off of this.

**Warnings: **Brain-boggling stuff, mate. Anybody wanna guess what it all means?

**Chapter 8:** Portrait

Apart from a lunch break, when Croquet had brought them sandwiches and fruit juice, Pegasus and Seto spent almost four hours at the laptop, trying to decide if each certain color fit with his dream. 

They stopped abruptly, hardly daring to believe it, when they reached the end of the extensive color list. Left with three and a half hours of surveillance video, Pegasus had opted to take a nap, murmuring that he never wanted to lay his eye upon a computer screen again. Though he would, of course. Anything for Cecelia.

And while Kaiba worked busily to manage his company, Pegasus dreamt.

A pearly mist had rolled up around him, obscuring everything from his view. Someone seemed to be calling out to him, but he was too weary to even turn his head. He rose slowly, until the mist, no matter how it reached up, could only coil about his ankles, and he could see the one who had been saying his name over and over until it fell from her lips as meaningless as drops of snow and ice mixed together with hot, steamy blood.

"Do I know you?" He thought to ask, though he couldn't be sure if he had spoken or not; his tongue felt like paper or something else equally dry. Perhaps he shouldn't ask such a question, though, for obviously she knew him, and it would hurt to know that he had forgotten who she was. Too late.

"You… don't know?" Her eyes and mouth widened as if they had broken apart and were now falling in a shower of petals around her feet. But they weren't falling, of course. Only tears. And the word that had once meant his name.

"I'm sorry," he said, feeling out of control and dizzy, "I'm sorry. If you could remind me, though, maybe…"

"I'm Cecelia."

"…What?"

"I'm your wife."

"N… no... You're... not… You can't…"

"Why can't I?" Her eyes looked so desperately sad, and he just wanted to brush the raindrops from her face, but he couldn't… something was holding him back…

"You don't look like her," he said, though his mouth was drowning with glue and rubber and tree sap that tried to shut him up. "I know what she looks like."

Her delicate porcelain face was breaking, breaking, shattering into a thousand infinitesimal pieces but when they didn't fall, he realized that there was no sign that it was breaking after all except the tinkling glass sound of pieces crumbling against one another, all its support gone. "No, no you don't. It's all an illusion. You can't continue this… You're breaking my heart."

"I'm sorry." 

"Do you really know what your wife looks like?" She was grasping at her chest now, as if trying to hold the pieces of her heart together, her piercing eyes turning him inside out. "Or do you only know your memory?" He couldn't say anything; he couldn't move, as if her eyes were holding him in place like a stake through his heart. "The Eye can give you my image, the Ring can find me, the Ankh can give you my memories, the Rod can give you my habits, the Scales can give you my ideals, the Tauk can give you my destiny, the Puzzle can put it all together… but it's still not really me. Do you know why?"

Her lips were terrible, terrible, her tongue was like a snake, lashing out at him, biting, and finally, those sharp fangs sank into his wrist and the poison filled his bloodstream, and he screamed and screamed and screamed but the pain was gone as quickly as it had come, leaving only illumination. "You are…"

"Because I'm dead!" Her words were harsh, bright light, destroying the darkness behind which he had for so long made his shelter. "You can never have me back, not with any amount of magic."

"…Cecelia," he whispered, putting his arms around her at last, and she was crying and he was crying and they were both crying together not noticing the blood trickling from her mouth nor his wrist. Gold that had not been there before was falling from his arms and legs like fetters shed. "I can hold you…"

"…Because I'm real. Because I'm not an illusion. Because I was something the Items can never imitate: I was alive."

He was crying too much to answer now, weeping and holding and wanting nothing more than to just hold her forever and ever and ever and ever, so she did the talking for the both of them. "Stop searching for me. I'm right here, with you, forever… The Eye can pervert my image, but you won't believe it, will you?" Mutely, he could barely shake his head for the relieved and yet desperate sobs that racked his entire frame. "I'm right here… but I'm not alive anymore. Remember me, but forget me…"

"I could never forget you," he murmured absently, running his hand through her hair and streaking it red.

"I just want you to be happy, like you've made me happy. And I know you couldn't be happy if you don't let go of me. The past is gone, and so am I…"

"Cecelia? Wait!"

Her smile was the last thing that remained of her, until that too was gone, faded away into a brilliant sunrise that forced him to shield his eyes. Both of them.

To Be Continued… 


	9. Arch

**Title: **Canvas

**Summary:** A post-Duelist Kingdom story centered around Pegasus and his search for a way to bring Cecelia back… And the man he wants help from is the most unlikely of all. Shounen-ai of a very uncommon pairing that someone requested.

**Disclaimer:** Lily does not own YuGiOh. Lily is not making money off of this.

**Warnings: **None?

**Chapter 9:** Arch

Pegasus woke up in tears, barely registering the two forms hovering anxiously by his bedside. He bolted from his bed and ran, unsure if he ran through something or someone or only empty space in his haste to get there. The door was locked, as Seto had previously noticed, but Pegasus kept turning the knob as if it'd magically unlock itself somehow. When it refused to budge, he sank to his knees, pounding at the door, trying to make it yield to fists that reddened with constant impact.

"Pegasus-sama?" A key was handed to him, and he took it gratefully, trying to jam it into the keyhole and missing the first dozen times. Finally, he heard the click and twisted the doorknob and ran in. Though he hadn't been in the storage room since he'd gotten the Eye, though his vision was blurry, he somehow knew exactly where it was and threw his arms around it as best he could, pushing his face against it, and sobbed until he felt empty of tears.

He felt a hand on his shoulder but didn't look up, only shook his head and mumbled, "Leave me alone." There was no way he wanted to be faced with anybody in this state, distraught and clutching the first portrait he ever painted of Cecelia. What had happened to his always calm, always collected exterior? For a moment, he scrambled to rebuild the mask, but it felt too good to let it all out.

"You're destroying the picture," Seto said calmly.

"It doesn't matter anymore, I guess. And we can stop looking for the Eye."

"You wanna talk about it?"

~~

All of Cecelia's portraits, whether bearing her likeness or not, were disposed of but one, a small sketch done with pastel before her death that Pegasus framed and would put on his desk once he moved. 

Pegasus stood in the tower that looked over all of what was formerly his castle. The blank space on the wall that used to sport Cecelia's picture was now sadly blank, but he was strangely glad of it. It was what Cecelia had wanted, after all, for him to let go of his past, and so he supposed that he wanted it too. He had to, didn't he? It was just a bond that lovers shared, to want a common goal.

Footsteps sounded behind him, and he felt a mild twinge of annoyance.  This was his private sanctuary, after all, one where he could go to brood, and even if it wouldn't be his much longer, it still was for the moment.

"Hey. How does the eye feel?" Seto was standing in the doorway, unsmiling and yet not sneering, either. A neutral expression. A bit too neutral, giving the impression that it was crafted rather than natural, that the owner was afraid that any sort of emotion might scare Pegasus away like a flighty animal.

"Natural." He demonstrated with a half-hearted wink, then asked, "How'd you find me?"

"I'm psychic?" Seeing the other's look, Seto amended with, "I saw you come here last night, right after you fled dinner."

Hearing this, Pegasus nodded and fell silent. 

"So, are you ready to talk about it yet?" Seto picked a seat, knowing that if the answer was yes, it'd be a long story, and if the answer was no, he would have to just pry it out.

"I guess." Seto waited patiently, a skill he had to master for Mokuba, and glanced out the window. It had stopped snowing the night before, but snowdrifts still piled up and covered most of the windows. Servants were already outside, plowing and digging and trying to free the garage and main doors so everybody could get home, tempted by the bonus they would get for doing extra work.

"I was desperate, I guess," Pegasus said, and though the words meant next to nothing to Seto, he nodded anyways. "By then, I had been without Cecelia for so long I felt I would die without her. And when I got the Eye, maybe the pain made me delirious, but I doubt it. I had really forgotten what she looked like.

"When I saw the vision the Eye gave me, I instantly assumed it was her, because I wanted it to be so much. I could hardly remember why I loved her so much, only that I did, and I wanted her back. I guess you know what happened from there. I decided that by getting all the Items, I could get Cecelia back."

Sighing, he put a hand over his forehead, tracing his pinky along the bumps of his eyes. Both eyeballs responded to the pressure, reassuring him that they were both real.

"I couldn't, of course. The Items are too powerful for me, I think. They would've consumed me and found someone else to wield them. Or maybe they would've given me what I thought was Cecelia. A travesty. And I believed it."

"What can you expect? We all forget those we don't see for a long time."

"But this is Cecelia we're talking about. Cecelia!"

"And?"

"And…" Pegasus mutely considered saying, 'And I always thought I could never forget her,' or 'And even yesterday, I said I could never forget her,' but realized that it was pointless. "Never mind," he finally said, taking a few steps from the blank wall. "Don't worry about it, Kaiba-kun."

"Are you sure?"

Pegasus nodded and smiled, knowing that he could fully release his anxieties in his journal later. They both fell silent.

"Have you thought about what I said?" Seto asked, and then had to work hard at refraining from kicking himself. What possessed him to bring _that_ up?

"What did you say?"

"Oh. Um, nothing." He stood. "I'm leaving then, I guess."

"You are? Let's get you the deeds to Industrial Illusions then, shall we?"

"I don't want it."

"…Huh?" Looking flummoxed, Pegasus frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I don't want it. I didn't help you find the Eye, did I?"

"But… I said that whether or not you succeeded, you could have the company."

"Yes, but you cancelled the search."

"After you finished what I had asked of you."

"And I said to consider the whole video thing to be part of the original deal."

"Though it wasn't."

"But now it is."

"Kaiba-kun, why are you doing this? Industrial Illusions is yours!"

'Because if you own it, we'll have to meet again to discuss my rights to making and selling products based on your cards,' he thought, but said, "Because the company needs you to design cards, of course. And because I don't have time to run your company as well as mine."

"So… so why did you agree to this at the beginning?"

"It's not like I had anything better to do. I wanted to try." Seto was getting slightly irritated by Pegasus's inability to accept a favor. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm leaving."

"Wait." Turning, exasperated, Seto looked at Pegasus, wondering what he wanted now. 

"Before you go, can I… paint you?"

**End.**


End file.
